background check

In the movie "A Christmas Story," Ralphie had his sights set on just one gift: a Red Ryder BB gun. But many Americans this season clearly had heavier arms on their minds: Background checks on gun buyers hit a single-month record in December.

It's simple supply and demand: More people are looking to rent apartments than are buying homes and moving out of them. The result: Rising rents, fewer concessions, and more competition for good apartments. If you're in the rental market -- and more than a third of Americans are -- what can you do?

The idea of making some extra income off your house may sound attractive to many homeowners -- until one starts considering what the costs will be in terms of lifestyle changes, loss of privacy, safety and potential financial liability. Our experts provide some sobering advice.